THE VICTORIAN GOVERNMENTS $350,000 ANIMAL WELFARE GRANTS IS A TOKEN TO THEIR FAILED LEGISLATION PROMISES

Media Release10 July 2017

Although the Animal Justice Party commends the Victorian Government for issuing 15 grants to animal welfare groups, they want to see real reform for companion animals.The Andrews Labour Government announced the grants, totalling more than $350,000, for animal welfare groups that provide rescue and rehabilitation to abandoned and abused animals.Bruce Poon, National President of the Animal Justice Party (AJP) said, “This is a band aid solution that fails to initiate any action on laws or reforms that will eliminate the need for animal rescue facilities.”Although the grants will make situations for rescue and conditions in facilities better for animals it does not reduce the excess number of animals bred that end up abandoned, and ultimately euthanized. Nationally over 250,000 mostly healthy dogs and cats are put to death each year in pounds and shelters. One key way to reduce animals in rescue centres is to ban puppy farms and phase out the breeding of companion animals until shelters achieve a no-kill status with no turn-away. The Andrews Government promise to introduce laws around puppy farms and companion animal breeding has failed to become a reality. Companion animals need laws and legislation to prevent the need for rescue.